Maverick midfielder Kissock set to start?

MAVERICK midfielder John Paul Kissock could be set to start when Hendon visit Kenilworth Road in the FA Cup tomorrow, writes Mark Wood.

Injuries have again cut deep into Luton’s squad for the visit of the Isthmian League Premier Division high-flyers.

And manager Gary Brabin looks set to call on the Kenilworth Road crowd favourite for the encounter.

Speaking at today’s press conference, he said: “John Paul has been on the fringes of things and started a few games and made a good impact when he has come off the bench and he will certainly be one banging on the door for a start.

“He is an attacking player and I’m sure if you asked JP he doesn’t know what his best position is either.

“He is not a central midfielder. He just loves football so much he wants to run around the pitch and get on the ball and he will certainly be in our thoughts for Saturday.”

None of the players who were ruled out for last Friday’s win at Gimseby Town have recovered for this game and added to that list could be skilful midfielder Adam Watkins who is struggling with a calf injury.

Definitely out are Dan Gleeson, Freddie Murray, Ed Asafu-Adjaye, Shane Blackett, Keith Keane, Alex Lawless and Amari Morgan-Smith and Brabin admitted it’s a difficult balancing act picking the right players.

He said: “I feel like we get one or two back and lose two or three.

“We’ve been playing catch-up since the beginning of the season when we had a lot of long-term injuries.

“We are still hopeful to get more bodies on the training field and select from a fully fit squad.

“We will be picking the strongest side available to us.

“I think it’s been well-documented we haven’t got a massive squad at the moment and we will pick the best squad available for the match.”

Resolving a deal for centre-half Janos Kocacs in time also seems unlikely, with Brabin continuing: “Adam Watkins is struggling at the moment and we haven’t signed Janos Kovacs.

“There is solid improvement every day (in Watkins) but we don’t know whether he has recovered in time.

“Blackett I think he played three games in a short space of time and Keith Keane got the knock in the early minutes against Wrexham the other week and played the full 90 minutes.

“As a penalty of that he has missed Grimsby and now Saturday.”

Right-back Gleeson is also making progress, with Brabin saying: “He has made another step forward in that he can join in with the non-contact, non-aggressive training.”

And he is determined to field a strong side for Hendon, leaving blooding youngsters and experimentation for the FA Trophy.

Brabin continued: “I’m a traditionalist.

“The FA Cup, I think at times people have tried to knock it down a little bit but I still have aspirations of achieving something great in the FA Cup.

“At the moment we are not in the position where we can risk too many.

“We’ve got a good group of players and we will pick a side strong enough to win that game.

“I think the FA Trophy was the one where they (youngsters) were involved mostly last year and the year before and we would like to do that again but the FA Cup is a little bit different.

“I don’t want to cheapen any game.”

He also wants to keep up Town’s winning momentum going, adding: “It’s always nice to get points on the board when you are chasing the league title, but it’s just winning football games.

“We just want to get into a winning mentality and that’s important.

“There really is a good tight group at the moment and they are desperate to play.”

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